Many toll facilities have been faced with traffic shortfalls due to inaccurate and over-forecasted toll revenue projections. Therefore calculating optimal toll rates can be a difficult process. Toll rates are often set to reflect the revenue needed to pay back bonds issued to finance the roadway. This research provides an alternative approach to calculating toll rates where revenue can be maximized while still considering the socio-demographics of the region. Several different approaches used in the border region were explored and compared to field data on an existing toll facility in El Paso, Texas. An innovative simulation-based modeling approach was used to test both static and dynamic pricing algorithms. Static tolling results showed optimal toll rates of $0.14/mile and $0.08/mile for Border Highway West in the westbound and eastbound directions respectively. The Cesar Chavez Highway has optimal toll rates of $0.12 and $0.10/mile in the west and eastbound directions. The dynamic tolling approach showed a max toll rate of $1.56/mile for Cesar Chavez Highway (westbound) during the morning peak period and then incrementally decreased to the minimum toll rate. However, the eastbound direction never increased above the minimum toll rate of $0.08 mile. Border Highway West never increased above the minimum toll rate in either direction. The dynamic tolling algorithm prediction is more representative of the optimal tolling rates for the border region-with the exception of Cesar Chavez Highway westbound.

Hensher, D., and J. Rose, Tollroads are only part of the overall trip: The error of our ways in past willingness to pay studies, Springer Science+Business Media 819-837, 2013.

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Hensher, D., C. Ho, and W. Liu, “How Much is Too Much for Tolled Users: Toll Saturation and the Implications for Car Commuting Value of Travel Time Savings,” Transportation Research Part A: Transportation Research Board 601-624, 2016.